Travelogues Tibet

About Tibet

Literally "On top of the world" lies the high plateau
of Tibet. Completely isolated for centuries, it has attracted
explorers thousands of years ago.

What has changed little is the
vast landscape that is constantly accompanying you when travelling
in Tibet. What did change is the cultural and spiritual life of
Tibetans. Their freedom is gone.

Its neighbours felt the same
attraction for Tibet, though for different reasons. Relations with
China were rarely stable, and in 1950 China invaded Tibet. Hundreds
of thousands of Tibetans were killed, tortured and thrown in prison.
Atrocities are not a thing of the past, though methods have become
subtler these days. Migration makes Tibetans a minority in their own
country, control of military and police is very tight and intrudes
in many aspects of everyday life. Freedoms we take for granted lead
to arrest, prison and torture.

A tourists with open eyes
can see and feel what is going on in Tibet. Economic
"development", state control and in some places poverty
clash with the fantastic landscape and its good-natured people. I
find travelling in Tibet tough, not because of its harsh climate or
altitude, but because of the contrasts one encounters.

Lhasa to
Kathmandu

The most common way of travelling in Tibet is to join a group in
Kathmandu, then fly to Lhasa in Central Tibet. After some days
exploring the old capital we board a bus and drive back the 1'000 km
to Kathmandu. We pass turquoise lakes, high passes and follow the
Himalayan chain westwards until a steep drop takes us to the rice
fields of Nepal. See
travelogue with Pictures.

Namtso

Countless lakes in blue, green and turquoise appear as colourful
dots on the barren plateau. We visit Namtso, a day's drive north of
Lhasa. At the shores of the "sky lake" rises the Nyechenthangla
range, culminating in the 7117 m high summit. From
here we visit Everest base camp at Rongbuk, and drive back to
Kathmandu. See
travelogue with Pictures.